Grounding of electrical receptacles (which some laypeople refer to as outlets) is an important safety feature that has been required in new construction since 1962, as it minimizes the risk of electric shock and protects electrical equipment from damage. Modern, grounded 120-volt receptacles in the United States have a small, round ground slot centered below two vertical hot and neutral slots, and it provides an alternate path for electricity that may stray from an appliance. Older homes often have ungrounded, two-slot receptacles that are outdated and potentially dangerous. Homeowners sometimes attempt to perform the following dangerous modifications to ungrounded receptacles:

the use of an adapter, also known as a "cheater plug." Adapters permit the ungrounded operation of appliances that are designed for grounded operation. These are a cheaper alternative to replacing ungrounded receptacles, but are less safe than properly grounding the connected appliance;

replacing a two-slot receptacle with a three-slot receptacle without re-wiring the electrical system so that a path to ground is provided to the receptacle. While this measure may serve as a seemingly proper receptacle for three-pronged appliances, this “upgrade” is potentially more dangerous than the use of an adapter because the receptacle will appear to be grounded and future owners might never be aware that their system is not grounded. If a building still uses knob-and-tube wiring, it is likely than any three-slot receptacles are ungrounded.

removal of the ground pin from an appliance. This common procedure not only prevents grounding but also bypasses the appliance’s polarizing feature, since a de-pinned plug can be inserted into the receptacle upside-down.

While homeowners may be made aware of the limitations of ungrounded electrical receptacles, upgrades are not necessarily required. Many small electrical appliances, such as alarm clocks and coffee makers, are two-pronged and are thus unaffected by a lack of grounding in the building’s electrical system. Upgrading the system will bring it closer to modern safety standards, however, and this may be accomplished in the following ways:

Install three-slot receptacles and wire them so that they’re correctly grounded.

Install ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). These can be installed upstream or at the receptacle itself. GFCIs are an accepted replacement because they will protect against electric shocks even in the absence of grounding, but they may not protect the powered appliance. Also, GFCI-protected ungrounded receptacles may not work effectively with surge protectors. Ungrounded GFCI-protected receptacles should be identified with labels that come with the new receptacles that state: “No Equipment Ground.”

Replace three-slot receptacles with two-slot receptacles. Two-slot receptacles correctly represent that the system is ungrounded, lessening the chance that they will be used improperly.

Homeowners and non-qualified professionals should never attempt to modify a building’s electrical components.

If you ever watch any home buying or remodeling shows on TV, you know what kinds of secrets a home inspection can reveal about a seemingly-safe house! Home inspections are crucial before finalizing any real estate purchase, especially here in New York where we are a “Caveat Emptor” (meaning: Buyer Beware) state. All buyers should know that sellers are not required to disclose much about their home during a real estate transaction.

Does the house have faulty plumbing, a bad roof, or a failing foundation? That’s up to the buyer to discover on his own, the seller doesn’t have to tell you. For that reason, I highly recommend a home inspection. This is typically done after the home is under contract, during a specified “Home Inspection Contingency” period. The purpose of the home inspection is primarily to evaluate the physical condition of the home for sale and identify anything that needs to be repaired or replaced, but also to estimate the remaining useful life of the structure’s components. Furnaces, water heaters, roofs, siding… these all have a “typical” life expectancy before they need to be replaced. A home inspector can help you understand today’s condition compared to that “typical” life expectancy so you can make an educated guess about when it will need to be replaced, and even what that might cost you. Beyond that, a good home inspector will also record specifics about the components of a home and help you understand how to use those systems and perform the basic maintenance requirements to keep things working properly.

And, a word of caution… Don’t confuse appraisals with inspections! An appraisal is for a lender to estimate the value of the home, and to make sure it meets minimum condition standards set in place by the lender or mortgage insurer for that type of loan.

For example, a VA (Veterans Affair) loan is one that is insured against default by the Veterans Administration. The VA has property condition requirements, and the appraiser is charged with checking to ensure that the property meets those requirements. It’s a similar situation with FHA (Federal Housing Administration). These loans also have minimum property condition standards. Any lender can also impose their own standards. So, as a result of the appraisal, there may be “Lender Required Repairs” before the loan can close on the home. However, this does NOT guarantee the value or condition of your would-be new home. If you find problems with your home after closing, don’t expect the FHA, VA or your lender to help. For more information, contact me: